Saint Helena Church Records

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Saint Helena

Church Records

For information about records for non-Christian religions in Saint Helena, go to the Religious Records page.

Online Resources and Websites

Ancestry.com, findmypast.com, and MyHeritage.com can be searched free of charge at your local family history center or the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.

• Saint Helena Government Archives
• Saint Helena IGI, Births, index, incomplete
• Saint Helena IGI, Marriages, index, incomplete
• Saint Helena IGI, Deaths
• St. Helena baptisms, marriages, and burials, 1767-1835, images, partial index.
• St Helena Ancestors Database, name search, Anglican Baptisms, Anglican Marriages, Anglican Marriage Banns, Anglican Burials, index complete within 100-year rule (account required).
• India Office Family History Search, name search, Anglican Baptisms, Anglican Marriages, Anglican Burials, partial index.
• UK, Foreign and Overseas Registers of British Subjects, 1628-1969, index ($)

Historical Background

Most residents are Anglican and are members of the Diocese of St Helena, which has its own bishop and includes Ascension Island. The 150th anniversary of the diocese was celebrated in June 2009. Other Christian denominations on the island include the Roman Catholic (since 1852), the Salvation Army (since 1884), Baptist (since 1845) and, in more recent times, the Seventh-day Adventist (since 1949), the New Apostolic Church, and Jehovah's Witnesses (of which one in 35 residents is a member, the highest ratio of any country).[46]

Information Recorded in the Records

Different denominations, different time periods, and practices of different record keepers will effect how much information can be found in the records. This outline will show the types of details which might be found (best case scenario):

Baptisms

In Catholic and Anglican records, children were usually baptized a few days after birth, and therefore, the baptism record proves date of birth. Other religions, such as Baptists, baptized at other points in the member's life. Baptism registers might give:

baptism date the infant's name parents' names father's occupation

status of legitimacy occasionally, names of grandparents names of witnesses or godparents, who may be relatives

birth date and place the family's place of residence death information, as an added note or signified by a cross

Marriages

Marriage registers can give:

the marriage date the names of the bride and groom indicate whether the bride and groom were single or widowed their ages

birth dates and places for the bride and groom their residences their occupations

birthplaces of the bride and groom parents' names (after 1800) the names of previous spouses and their death dates names of witnesses, who might be relatives.

Burials

Burial registers may give:

the name of the deceased the date and place of death or burial the deceased's age place of residence

cause of death the names of survivors, especially a widow or widower deceased's birth date and place parents' names, or at least the father's name

How to Find Records

Digital Copies of Church Records in the FamilySearch Catalog

Watch for digitized copies of church records to be added to the collection of the FamilySearch Library. Some records might have viewing restrictions, and can only be viewed at a Family History Center near you, and/or by members of supporting organizations. To find records:

a. Click on the records of Saint Helena.

b. Click on Places within Saint Helena and a list of towns will appear.

c. Click on your town if it appears, or the location which you believe was the parish which served your town or village.

d. Click on the "Church records" topic. Click on the blue links to specific record titles.

e. Some combination of these icons will appear at the far right of the listing for the record. . The magnifying glass indicates that the record is indexed. Clicking on the magnifying glass will take you to the index. Clicking on the camera will take you to an online digital copy of the records.

Writing for Records

You will probably need to write to or email the national archives, the diocese, or local parish priests to find records. See Letter Writing Guide for Genealogy for help with composing letters.

Catholic Church Records

Writing to a Local Parish

Earlier records can be held at the diocese, with more recent records still kept in the local parish. To locate the mailing address or e-mail address for a diocese or local parish, consult:

• The Catholic Directory: Saint Helena

Historical Background

The Catholic Church in Saint Helena is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome. Together with the islands of Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, it forms a mission sui iuris (autonomous). There is a Catholic church on St Helena, the Sacred Heart in Jamestown. There is a Catholic church on Tristan da Cunha, St Joseph's Catholic Church.

The Sacred Heart Church is a religious building that is affiliated with the Catholic Church and is located in the town of Jamestown on the island of Saint Helena part of the British overseas territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha in the southern Atlantic Ocean. This is one of 3 operating Catholic churches in that territory, the others being those located in Georgetown, in Ascension Island (Church of Our Lady of the Ascension) and the Edinburgh of the Seven Seas on the island of Tristan da Cunha (Church of St. Joseph). The first Catholic priests came to Saint Helena with Napoleon Bonaparte in 1819.

Anglican (Episcopal) Church Records

Writing for Records

• Google Maps search results for Anglican churches in Saint Helena

Historical Background

The Diocese of Saint Helena is an Anglican diocese within the Anglican Church of Southern Africa. It covers the islands of Saint Helena and Ascension in the Atlantic Ocean and was created in 1859. St Paul's Cathedral is on Saint Helena. In 1671, the East India Company sent the first of a long sequence of Church of England chaplains. The early, modest little church was replaced by a slightly bigger one in 1674, but was only later named St. James church. Another church ("the Country Church") was built shortly afterwards near the present St. Paul's church.

Baptist Church Records

Writing for Records

• Google Maps search results for Baptist churches in Saint Helena

Jehovah's Witnesses Church Records

Writing for Records

• Google Maps search results for Jehovah's Witnesses churches in Saint Helena

New Apostolic Church Records

Writing for Records

• Google Maps search results for New Apostolic churches in Saint Helena

Salvation Army Church Records

Writing for Records

Saint Helena Salvation Army
Postal address:
Jamestown
Island of St Helena
South Atlantic Ocean

Tel: +09 2290 2703
Fax: +09 2290 2052
Email:salvationarmy@helenata.co.sh

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